SPOILERS BELOW for anyone who hasn’t yet watched The Penguin’s season finale on HBO or streamed it with a Max subscription, so be warned!
Even after its first episode, The Penguin seemed destined to become a beloved standout amidst everything on the 2024 TV schedule, and the hyper-dark crime drama from showrunner Lauren LeFranc never stopped delivering on that promise. Indeed, the season finale "A Great or Little Thing" featured a smorgasbord of emotional depth with tour de force performances from Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti and Deidre O’Connell, not to mention Rhenzy Feliz’s gut-demolishing final scene. For over an hour, this thing is a solid A+.
But if I may be so flagrantly dramatic (though without spittle flying from my lips), the finale’s uncomfortably perfect ending is nearly blown to smithereens by the show’s final connective tissue to Matt Reeves’ upcoming Batman film(s): the Bat Signal. But like, only 1.5 seconds of it, short enough that I really wish it hadn't happened at all.
Why Give Fans The Bat Signal Now?
Right from the jump, The Penguin's creative bosses were clear and up front about Robert Pattison's Batman (or Bruce Wayne) not having any kind of presence in the episodic series, with the main thrust being to keep this world more grounded as a crime drama. But as viewers have seen through references to The Riddler and shared cast members, the HBO show didn't shy away entirely from showing it exists within the same universe.
Even so, a lot of viewers either didn't get that memo, or didn't care to agree with it, because the absolute lack of Batman references has been one of the more debated aspects within the fandom. Some like myself think it makes sense for the show to bypass all things batty, since the vigilante is still gaining ground in Gotham City during The Penguin's timeline, and likely wouldn't have the means of keeping constant surveillance on Oz's neck of the woods.
But others are of the belief that some of the more destructive events in the TV show, such as Oz's underground operation going explosively belly up, would have absolutely attracted Batman's attention. So perhaps that group will be pleased to see the signal popping on in the closing seconds, but I'd imagine many would see it as too little, too late.
Granted, showing it earlier in the season likely would have caused a slew of fans to see it as Chekov's Bat Signal, indicating a full-on appearance from the Caped Crusader before the season concluded. Which would have led to further disappointment when it didn't happen, but still. Just don't have it at all, let this season be all about Oz, and problems solved.
The Letter To Sofia Was Already A Perfect Callback To End On
I truly think the episode stuck the easter egg landing, if you want to call it that, with the letter from Selina Kyle that Dr. Rush brought to the once-again institutionalized Sofia, teasing their potential future relationship in Matt Reeves' The Batman: Part II or a potential second season of The Penguin. I loved the series going that route, since I admittedly hadn't thought all that much about their familial ties before now, since I wasn't sure if Sofia would even survive beyond the finale.
Even if Milioti ends up landing other projects and doesn't return as Sofia Falcone, which would be the worst thing ever, the set-up of that character either teaming up with or butting heads with Zoë Kravitz's Selina is something fans can actually gnaw on between projects. It's a seed that can grow widlly in fans' minds in all kinds of ways.
But the Bat Signal popping up in the sky doesn't get any additional context, so there's nothing further to consider there. There's no indication of what major crime would be happening that would require Batman's attention, and we don't even get a shot of Oz or Eve Karlo seeing it from his penthouse windows.
A Shot Of A New Bat-Device Or Vehicle Would Have Worked Better
Had the Bat Signal not existed in The Batman, and we were just seeing it for the very first time in The Penguin, that'd be one thing. But we already know what it looks like, and even if it was a completely new design, that would still be on the less-impressive side.
However, even I might have geeked out a bit had the HBO series ended on a quick shot of an early Batwing prototype or a more fantastical Batmobile zipping through the streets below Oz's penthouse. Sure, it's probably still too early to bring in more complicated vehicles like that, but my point is just that the finale should have ended with something new to think about for Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight, if it was going to make us think about him at all.
The Penguin's final moment makes me think about Gotham's series finale, which ended with the proto-signal spotlight and the first and only shot of Batman in-costume. The final scene sparked some criticism at the time, but that kind of reveal was organic to the show's build-up, and squarely put the vigilante's future exploits entirely inside the minds of audiences.
As gross-feeling as it is to say it, I think we're better off following the finale by sorting through the complexities of Francis having to tearfully stare out of that window, unable to communicate just how miserable she truly is, all while listening to Oz gloat with self-importance as he makes another woman say she's proud of him. That's the kind of hellacious situation that Batman can't fix no matter how many years of training he gets through.
So if anything, that signal shining in the sky isn't really a sign of hope, but rather a reminder that heroes can't save everyone. Now if everyone will excuse me, I'm late for my appointment with Dr. Rush, who I definitely will not tell all my biggest sins to.
R.I.P. Victor Aguilar. We hardly knew ye, but want to avenge your murder all the same.
